Asylum Seekers

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many asylum seekers were detained in 2004 without having been charged with a criminal offence; and, of those, how many were mothers with young children.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Information on the number of asylum seekers who were detained in 2004 under Immigration Act powers and of those the number of mothers with young children is not available. It would be available only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost. Quarterly snapshots are published showing the number of people detained under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter, and they can be broken down by gender and by detainees who are under 18 years old. Those individuals were all detained as part of families whose detention as a group was considered necessary and include minors detained with their families under NSA provisions at Oakington reception centre. The power to detain is an essential part of protecting the integrity and effectiveness of our immigration control. The decision to detain is made on a case by case basis and may be appropriate in one or more of the following circumstances: to effect removal; to establish a person's identity and claim; where a person presents a risk of absconding; or where the application is capable of being considered quickly.

Biospheres

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many areas of the United Kingdom are designated as biospheres under the United Nations designation; and
	What benefits a biosphere designation can bring to an area; and
	What help they can offer to areas designated as biospheres to achieve the benefits such a designation can bring.

Lord Bach: There are eight areas designated as biosphere reserves in the UK. These are: Beinn Eighe; Braunton Burrows;. Dyfi; Loch Druidibeg; Moor House—Upper Teesdale; north Norfolk coast; Cairnsmore of Fleet, Silver Flowe and Merrick Kells; and Taynish. The reserves are established to promote and. demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere by preserving genetic resources, species, ecosystems and landscapes, and fostering sustainable economic and human developments. The Government will undertake a review of the suitability and effectiveness of the existing biosphere reserves between now and 2007.

Certificate of Identity

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How persons receiving international protection in the United Kingdom (leave to remain) can travel to third countries; and whether they will consider making Home Office certificates of identity more widely accepted by creating a new travel document or by other means.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: People who have been formally recognised as refugees or stateless persons by the United Kingdom are entitled to documents issued under the 1951 and 1954 UN conventions respectively. The certificate of identity, issued on a discretionary basis, is generally recognised throughout the world but does not confer an automatic right to re-enter the United Kingdom or other countries. There are no plans at present to introduce any other document to replace the certificate of identity.

Child Support Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Child Support Agency collected from fathers during each year from 2001 to 2004; and how much the agency paid to mothers in each of those years.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The information is not available in terms of the money collected from fathers and paid to mothers. However, information is available on the amounts collected from non-resident parents and paid to parents with care. The table below shows this information.
	
		Total maintenance collected from non-resident parents and total maintenance paid to parents with care
		
			  Total maintenance collected from non-resident parents(£ millions) Total maintenance paid to parents with care (£ millions) 
			 Great Britain   
			 2001–02 528.45 526.79 
			 2002–03 572.54 570.69 
			 2003–04 580.27 580.09 
			 Northern Ireland   
			 2001–02 11,651 11,532 
			 2002–03 12,502 12,643 
			 2003–04 12,746 12,752 
		
	
	Source: Child Support Agency and Northern Ireland Child Support Agency.
	Notes:
	1. The sums received and paid out above are taken from the agency's general ledger. These form the basis of the clients' funds account and notes to the account contained in the agency's annual report and accounts.
	There are four possible reasons why there is a discrepancy between the amount of maintenance collected and the amount of maintenance paid:
	first, where the monies have been received into the agency and are in the process of being issued by the system to the parent with care via whatever method of payment has been agreed;
	secondly, where the monies have been received and are being held by the system, awaiting the date they are due to be paid to the parent with care, when they will be paid via whatever method of payment has been agreed;
	thirdly, where the monies have been received into the new IT system—however we are unable to make payment via the system, and a clerical payment is made to the parent with care;
	finally, where the monies have been received from the non-resident parent but there is insufficient information to identify the non-resident parent or parent with care—these are investigated by a dedicated team to identify the intended recipient and then paid via one of the mechanisms above.

Council of Europe: Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings; if so, whether legislation will be necessary before ratification.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The UK has not yet taken a decision on whether or not to sign the convention. We support fully all of its aims, and we too want to see widespread action to tackle that abhorrent trade at source, to protect and support the victims and to bring those responsible to justice. However, there are certain provisions in the convention that present concerns for the UK, and they remain under active consideration. We want to resolve those issues before taking a decision on signature. We have already put in place a range of measures to combat human trafficking. We intend to build on those and will continue to work nationally and internationally to ensure that we have in place the right policies to meet our responsibilities on the issue. We are looking at what further steps would be required, if the UK becomes a signatory, to ratify the Council of Europe convention. That work has not yet concluded, but our initial assessment is that full implementation would require some legislative changes.

Defence Programmes

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What defence programmes the Ministry of Defence is developing in collaboration with (a) the United States, and (b) European Union member states.

Lord Drayson: I am placing a list of collaborative equipment programmes (correct as at 31 March 2005) and research and technology programmes (as at June 2005) in the Library of the House. The information focuses on defence equipment programmes, including associated research and technology. Due to security constraints, a small number of programmes have been omitted from both lists. To provide a list of everything that might constitute a collaborative defence programme could only have been done incurring disproportionate time and effort.

House of Lords: Carbon Off-set Scheme

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether consideration has been given to a carbon offset scheme for House of Lords activities; and, if so, what was the outcome of such consideration.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Parliamentary Estates Directorate, which serves both Houses, has a partnership arrangement with the Carbon Trust in order to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, help reduce energy consumption and develop a corporate strategy for the management of carbon dioxide.
	A carbon offset scheme is not among the initiatives currently being pursued. Efforts are being concentrated on savings at Westminster.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What investment is planned by British Waterways in 2005 and 2006 on schemes for the refurbishment and improvement of its land and buildings along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Lord Bach: British Waterways plans to spend approximately £6 million on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 2005–06 of which approximately £4.85 million will be investment in land and buildings alongside the waterway.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why improvements to the towpath on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Nelson and Barnoldswick have included motorbike barriers of a design that prevents access for disabled people in wheelchairs; and whether they will be taking measures to enable disabled access.

Lord Bach: The motorbike barriers installed on the canal are a recognised type of motorbike exclusion barrier and have been tested by the Fieldfare Trust for suitability for disabled access. We understand that wheelchairs, pedal cycles, prams, pedestrians and the visually impaired can use the barriers, although there can be problems with mobility vehicles, especially where barriers are installed on an incline. British Waterways recognises that and is reviewing the suitability of the barriers currently in use and alternative options. It expects to make a decision in the autumn.

Ministry of Defence: Expenditure

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the level of Ministry of Defence expenditure on (a) new equipment; (b) support for existing equipment; (c) research and technology; and (d) technology demonstration projects; for each of the financial years 2001–02 to 2004–05; and
	What is the level of planned Ministry of Defence expenditure on (a) new equipment; (b) support for existing equipment; (c) research and technology; and (d) technology demonstration projects; for each of the financial years 2005–06 to 2014–15.

Lord Drayson: We publish each year a document entitled The Ministry of Defence: The Government's Expenditure Plans (GEP), which includes a functional breakdown of the dep artment's past and planned resource and capital spending. The extant GEP document, published in 2004, covers the period from 1999–2000 to 2005–06. We are planning to publish this year's update, covering the period from 2000–01 to 2007–08, before the summer recess.
	The breakdown in the GEP includes past and planned spending on the procurement of new equipment, logistics, and the corporate science and technology budget. Information on past and planned expenditure on technology demonstrator programmes is not held centrally, as the funding for such programmes comes from both the equipment procurement and corporate science and technology budgets. The equipment plan (EP), covering the acquisition of new equipment, looks out over a longer period than the logistics and science and technology budgets. The forecast cost of the defence equipment programme over the next 10 years is £68 billion.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Lord Steinberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimated timeframe for the re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Lord Rooker: The Government are committed to the restoration of fully inclusive, devolved, power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland at the earliest possible opportunity. However, the transition to that point requires a rebuilding of trust and confidence, which in turn is dependent on an end to paramilitary and criminal activity and the decommissioning of illegally held weapons.

Northern Ireland: Tribunals

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 22 June (WA182), whether they will initiate an independent review of the fairness and effectiveness of the industrial tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal of Northern Ireland, paying particular attention to the local government sector.

Lord Rooker: The Government have no plans to initiate a review of the industrial tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal at this time.

Road Tolls

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they have cancelled a pilot scheme for nationwide road tolls which they had planned to commence in 2008.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The proposed lorry road user charge (LRUC) was not intended as a pilot scheme for national road pricing. However, our work on the LRUC has strengthened the Government's view that distance-based charging for using the UK's roads is technically achievable. In particular, our "proof of solution" work with prospective suppliers has enabled us to see the technology in action and is confirming our expectations of its ability to deliver a distance-based charge.
	Now that we are taking forward work on a national system of road pricing, it is right for us to take forward the plans for distance-based lorry charging as part of the wider work on national road pricing—to work for a single comprehensive, cost-effective system. So, although the current procurement for lorry road user charging will not continue, we will continue to work with industry and ensure that we carry the full experience gained from the project into the wider work to develop a national road-pricing system for cars and lorries, and we will continue to work with the haulage industry to ensure that its needs are represented as we develop a national road-pricing system.

Royal Air Force Centrifuge

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 10 January (WA7) concerning contract AES1 A/279 and stating that "as soon as a settlement is reached the Ministry of Defence will release details of the lessons they have learned on the centrifuge project", and the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 7 June (WA59) stating that a final settlement had been reached, whether these details have yet been released.

Lord Drayson: Details of the lessons learned on the High G centrifuge project are being finalised by the Ministry of Defence and are expected to be available for release in the next few months.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 21 June 2005 (WA 164), on what basis the chief executive of Waterways Ireland considered that the appointee for the position of director of marketing and communications was "the most appropriate".

Lord Rooker: Under the terms of the procedure by which staff were designated and transferred into Waterways Ireland, the individual concerned was required to be placed in a post commensurate with his grade and salary at that time.
	I understand from the chief executive that the individual concerned was the only staff member transferred into body at that level and that the chief executive considered that the post of director of marketing and communications most closely met that requirement and most fully utilised the individual's experience.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many appointments have been made to Waterways Ireland without open competition since 2000; and why those appointments were made.

Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 21 June 2005 (Col. WA164)
	A total of 225 employees were designated and transferred to Waterways Ireland from the Irish Republic, and a total of 10 employees were designated and transferred to Waterways Ireland from Northern Ireland since 2000 without open competition. As those employees were designated and transferred to Waterways Ireland under the legislation setting up the body, an open competition was not required.